Ysgol Maesincla pupils urge us to consider use of plastic

Date: 02/12/2019

The pupils of Ysgol Maesincla in Caernarfon have led a march around the town calling for a reduction in the overuse of plastic.

As part of the Ynys Blastig (Plastic Island) project commissioned by Gwynedd Council, a number of local artists are working with the school to create artwork that will inspire the wider community to think about how the use of plastic can be cut down.

To launch the debate, a number of Ysgol Maesincla pupils dressed in costumes created from plastic waste, and marched through the streets of Caernarfon.

Iola Ynyr, lead artist for the Ynys Blastig project, said: "The children's enthusiasm for this important subject is evident and they all have clear ideas about how we should all do more for our environment.

“The purpose of the parade was to draw the public's attention to the overuse of plastic and try to inspire us to reduce our use of plastic.

"We are going to be working with the community to try to encourage people to think of ways to use materials other than plastic."

Councillor Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd Council's Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, said: "These days there is a great deal of attention about the unnecessary use of plastic and the detrimental effect it can have on the environment.

"The aim of the Ynys Blastig project is to use art to broaden that awareness, and to enable local artists to work with some of the area's children to create work that will inspire all of us to realise that everyone has a duty to play our part for the planet.

“It was great to see the excitement of the procession in Caernarfon and I look forward to seeing the project develop over the coming months.”

Following the recent procession where pupils at Ysgol Maesincla dressed in plastic waste, another parade is planned for March that will include natural materials in order to showcase and transformative power of creativity.